Frequently Asked Questions

To whom does CRRO report?The CRRO is housed within the Office of the Governor of the State of Colorado. CRRO reports directly to Governor John Hickenlooper, with CRRO Executive Director Molly Urbina serving as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet.

How does CRRO interface with other government agencies?On behalf of the Governor’s Office, CRRO serves as the resiliency and recovery leader, advocate, liaison and resource across multidisciplinary state and federal agencies. It also coordinates activities, fosters collaboration, develops effective partnerships, empowers local leadership and supports recovery among numerous local government and community partners.

Check out our Blueprint that illustrates how the various agencies work together.

What guides the CRRO’s mission and ongoing activities?A joint effort between the Governor’s Office, the CRRO and a broad-based collaborative of agencies resulted in the creation and adoption of the Colorado Resiliency Framework in 2015 -– a first-of-its-kind holistic and comprehensive plan that represents Colorado’s long-term commitment and investment in a resilient future.

The framework establishes a structure through which the State will support local partners as they adopt and implement their own resiliency plans and projects, while also providing a risk and vulnerability assessment tool to identify, evaluate and address potential hazards in planning and development activities.

The resiliency goals of the Framework can be defined in five specific areas:

In short, the Framework represents Colorado’s commitment and innovative approach to a more resilient future, recognizing that it also requires the participation from many other partner organizations -– including federal state, local, non-profit and private entities – and the community as a whole.

Within the Framework, resiliency is defined as the ability of Colorado communities to rebound, adapt and thrive amidst the challenges brought on by natural disasters and other hardships. It addresses the areas of economic, community, health and social, housing, watersheds and natural resources, and infrastructure.

This is not simply a government solution – it is designed expressly to empower communities across the state and help individuals tap into the sense of personal responsibility that defines us as Coloradans.

What are some of the most recent initiatives undertaken by the CRRO?Throughout 2015 the CRRO continued its vital work of helping communities throughout the state build back stronger and better from the devastation caused by historic wildfires and flooding in recent years. The rebuilding work has required a concentrated, coordinated and collaborative effort across a large number of state agencies and the Colorado Resiliency and Recovery Office has spearheaded these efforts.

The CRRO also continues to actively advocate for and pursue additional funding resources to support communities' ongoing rebuilding and resiliency efforts and it assisted in the passage of Senate Bill 245 in the State Legislature for hazard mapping that will provide consistent best available data that local communities can use in land-use decisions involving flood-impacted areas moving forward.

What are some of the CRRO’s planned activities for the coming year?Looking forward, the Colorado Resiliency and Recovery Office is committed to delivering results with an ongoing sense of urgency that is needed to build stronger and more resilient communities throughout Colorado. It will continue to forge, maintain and enhance strong relationships and partnerships across state, federal and local agencies designed to formulate and integrate community and regional resilience initiatives.

Some of the CRRO’s 2016 priorities include:

Implementing the Colorado Resiliency Framework in conjunction with the Colorado Resiliency Working Group